2016年8月30日

The Lexus LS wasn't available in Japan until 2006. Until then, a domestic version badged as Toyota Celsior (トヨタ・セルシオ) was sold in Japan. This is the third-gen Celsior / LS (F30型) and the actual model colour is called WhitePearlCrystalShine. Although the photos cannot show the beauty of the colour, in real life, it is very impressive indeed!

Mitsubishi GTO (aka 3000GT) is one of my favourite Japanese sports cars from the 90s and WiT's produced two models of it. The first one was the GTO twin turbo 1990 model, while the other one was the GTO twin turbo MR 1998 model. Unfortunately, my absolute favourite version was the 1994–1997 Z15A, but since I couldn't find it as a model, I opted for the GTO twin turbo MR 1998 one.

Back in 2014, I asked my contact in Japan to buy for me a few WiT's models, but it wasn't until this week that I arranged to have them delivered. It was a good thing that I bought them back then, since WiT's closed in March 2016. That's really a shame, as their models were among my favorite ones, and also, they had planned some very nice models for the future that I intended to buy (e.g. Lexus LX 570 2015年型, Lexus RX 450h F SPORT 2015年型, Lexus GS F 2015年型 & Mazda Eunos Cosmo 20B Type SX 1994年型 ).

The production of the Toyota Land Cruiser J70 stopped back in 2004, but in 2014, Toyota decided to put it into production for just one year (earlier post)! That was for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the model. WiT's released two versions, a van and a pickup. Although I was after the van version, I finally got the pickup one... Still a nice model to have in my collection though!

2016年8月26日

A Supra successor is an ongoing story at least since 2010 (earlier post), but it may actually happen after all. It's not a secret that Toyota is working with BMW for the development of a sports car, but no one knows what kind of car it will be. With Toyota already having the 86 in its lineup (earlier post), due for replacement in 2020, the collaboration between the two companies would make sense if Toyota would introduce another sports car, bigger than the 86.

According to the information published by Mag-X, the new Supra will be launched in April 2019. Power will come from a turbocharged petrol engine, despite the fact that at the beginning of the project, Toyota's hybrid technology was considered. The new Supra will be fitted with a 4-cylinder 2.0L engine, as well as a 6-cylinder 3.0L engine. The 2.0L engine is likely to come in two versions, one producing 200 ps / 32.6 kgm and the other one with an output of 258 ps / 40.8 kgm. The targeted fuel economy is 16.5 km/L. This will be possible due to the low weight of 1,350 kg, thanks to the use of carbon fibre.The price is expected to be below 4,000,000 ¥ (around $40,000).

The Corolla is one of Toyota's most successful models, but the last generations have failed in terms of design, at least in Europe. It seems that this will change with the new generation, if the rendering by Best Car is close to the final design. The new model should be launched next year in Japan.

2016年8月24日

Toyota entered the 24h Le Mans race, for the first time, back in 1985. It wasn't though until 1992 that got the long desired podium finish, with the TS010 finishing 2nd. So, it nice to have added a TS010 in my collection! This is a model of TOM'S
TS010 #8 24h Le Mans race car, which finished 8th in the race.

This is a rather old model, but since I found it for €7.95, I immediately added it to my collection. Lexus SC 430 is a beautiful car and I am still waiting for an even better model version of it to come out. This is the last Toyota-branded series of Soarer coupes (Z40 series), introduced in 2001. From July 2005 onwards, it was sold in Japan as Lexus SC 430 only.

2016年8月21日

Ken Okuyama Cars, the only carrozzeria in Japan, has unveiled the "kode57" at the Quail. All "kode" models (kode7, kode8, kode9) that have been revealed in the past were beautiful, unique and an expression of Ken Okuyama's superb design skills, but his latest creation is perhaps the finest example out of all. Below you can read more details from the official press release.

"Sitting on a highly rigid aluminum chassis, the kode57 is propelled by one of the world’s most powerful V12 engines mounted directly behind the front axle in a front mid-ship configuration. It is a limited edition car whose body has been meticulously styled to deliver a breath-taking visual experience and supercar driving pleasure.

Ken Okuyama Cars guarantees you will be able to appreciate the high level of passion and commitment in all facets of this one-off model, built in a Japanese state-of-the-art facility focusing on specialist handmade techniques.

The name kode57 pays homage to the year 1957, an iconic year in which many legendary cars were born and motor racing gained a strong worldwide following.

As part of its exhaustive weight-saving efforts, the kode57 incorporates an aluminum space frame and carbon fiber body panels. With its low-cut windscreen and long side proportions, the roofless coupe achieves an open-air feeling not seen in today’s high performance supercars.

kode57 features a driver-oriented cockpit with bespoke individual color themes defining each seat. Its handmade leather and ultra-suede (Toray) interior combination exudes an air of elegance and style while the rear-hinged scissor-type doors give the car a super sporty look. Electrically-adjustable seats, air-conditioning and an adjustable steering wheel add comfort and enable the pilot to find their ideal driving position.

The V12 engine and suspension settings can be tuned to suit the owner’s tastes thanks to a collaboration with German specialist Novitec Rosso. This partnership allows the front ride height to be adjusted by up to 45mm using a dedicated switch to assist during parking and other driving situations. Specially selecting the tires to deliver both performance and comfort, Pirelli P-Zero 295/25ZR21) were fitted to the front while P-Zero 335/25ZR22 were shod at the rear."

2016年8月19日

Last month, Mark released the Toyota Soarer 3.0 GT Limited (E-MZ20) 1987 model in two versions (Super White Ⅱ & Crystal White Toning). I chose the first version and it just arrived from Japan! It will really look nice next to the Soarer 2.0 (GZ10) model by ignition model (会社概要) I already got (earlier post)!!!

2016年8月12日

I already have three LFA models, made by Ebbro and Kyosho, as part of my collection, but I was really tempted in buying another one when I saw this version by Mark (Mark43). This is an LFA (RHD) in Pearl Grey colour made out of resin. A very beautiful model indeed!